


Merry Christmas, my Master

by itbeajen



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M, Fate Secret Santa 2018, Fluff, Gen, Gift Giving, M/M, No Relationship, Presents, Reader Insert, Secret Santa, can be read as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: He really wanted to give you something. After all, you've spent the whole year together making memories, it was only right that Christmas was special too.This is my Secret Santa gift for liteningtea on Twitter! I hope you enjoy it! :D





	Merry Christmas, my Master

All around Chaldea, the snow howled and whipped around all year round. The skies were constantly cloudy, with no signs of blue or sunlight to filter through. It was the perfect example of being trapped in a never ending snowstorm. Yet that doesn’t damper the upcoming month as it’s finally December - the end of another year, and the best time of the year for celebrations. All throughout the halls of Chaldea, there are excited whispers about the potential presents and celebrations that are to be held in Chaldea. 

 

Now that the Santa fiasco is all done and over with, Chaldea’s sole master was finally back resting in Chaldea. There was no need to worry about rocket ship sleighs or having to deal with a bunch strange children that wanted gifts but weren’t happy with what they got. The amount of times in which you had nearly fallen off the sleigh or had nearly died while delivering Christmas presents - it was far too many to count. But now you have the chance to relax, or so you thought.

 

Another tired sigh escapes your lips, and immediately it draws attention from your trusted Saber. It’s a simple tilt of the head as he glances down at you, curiosity and concern is evident on his expression and he softly probed, “Is everything alright, Master?”

 

“Ah, yes, everything is okay, Arthur.” You flashed him a quick smile. Although Arthur has only been summoned to Chaldea for about a year, even he could see the exhaustion in your eyes. He mirrors your smile, albeit his is slightly strained as he’s concerned for your well-being. He doesn’t say anything more about it though. Though it’s only been a year, he’s come adjusted to the slight changes in your facial expression and what each of them means. Though, of course, that’s to be expected as he was once the great king that ruled over all of Britain, he had to be aware of every little thing in his surroundings or something, or someone, would attempt to best him. 

 

He doesn’t bring it up as he walks you to your private room. Not again at least, his Master is lost in thought and clearly not going to be of any help for the rest of the day. You were essentially out of commission at this point. 

 

“Sleep well, Master.”

 

“I will. Thank you, Arthur. You really didn’t have to walk me back to my room, you know.”

 

“Mash would have wanted nothing less for you. Someone has to look over you when she isn’t able to.” You rolled your eyes at the playful and affectionate tone in which he regarded you with. With a shake of your head and a small smile and a wave, he’s dismissed from his escorting duties. 

 

Arthur patiently waited until he heard your door click close before walking away. Each footstep was heavy from the armor he donned. As the sounds of metal clinked against each other, so did his thoughts bounce around in his head. Truly, he really did want to do something for you. You have always been there for each Servant, encouraging them to do their best, or simply talking to them to get them to open up to the rest of their comrade in arms here. As the only master of humanity left, you’ve been dedicating all your time and energy into bettering your own skills - physically and magically. You’ve dedicated all your time in getting to know your servants better, how to build an effective team for each situation. 

 

All in all, you’ve been working yourself way too hard and you deserved a good day of rest for yourself. 

 

Arthur slowly made his way towards the small office where Da Vinci and Mash tended hang out at. Da Vinci claims she’s getting her work done there, but in reality, everyone knows that she’s there to gossip and get the most up-to-date news on what’s going on in Chaldea. As Arthur took a step into the office, Mash quickly turned to him. There’s an expectant and eager expression on her face. 

 

“Master is resting in their private room. I made sure to walk them there.” Arthur dutifully reported. Mash let out a sigh of relief and smiled, “Thank you, King Arthur. I was worried about Senpai. Senpai has… been working themselves far too hard.”

 

Arthur solemnly nodded and sighed, “I do think Master needs some sort of event that would cheer them up, or at least help them relax. One would think that with Christmas right around the corner, a celebration would be accounted for, but…”

 

“Yes.. I believe Senpai doesn’t want to handle anymore disastrous Christmas events.”

 

“One rocket sleigh is enough!” Da Vinci laughed. She brought a mug of coffee over to Arthur and gestured for him to join the two ladies at the table. He only had a moment of hesitation before doing so, and immediately sat down and accepted the tea gratefully. It warmed him completely and he sighed, “This is delicious.”

 

“Glad you like it. I’m not sure exactly what kind of tea it is, but Emiya always talks about how it’s helpful in destressing.”

 

“I can see why, I certainly feel relaxed already,” Arthur chuckled before softly murmuring, “I do hope Master finds some way to relax.”

 

“We were thinking of a Christmas banquet, but…” Da Vinci’s voice trailed off as she turned to Mash. Mash weakly smiled and explained, “There’s far too much going on and many of the Servants won’t have sufficient time in preparing. Oh, and… well, we would have to consider that there are also people that would probably directly confront Senpai about what they would like for Christmas and that might potentially stress them out even more instead of helping them relax.”

 

“I… Yes, I can see that,” Arthur grimaced as he recounted the tales of Christmas’ prior. There were too many strange incidents in which Servants would just tape a ribbon or bow to themselves and present themselves to you as a present. He nervously laughed and sighed, “I suppose that is a problem.”

 

_ How… What should I do to relieve Master of their stress? _

 

***

 

_ This… This is not quite what I expected. I followed the recipe exactly as it stated so why? _ Arthur frowned at the slightly charred sweet and sighed. He glanced over the mess he made in the kitchen. Though he was able to make a meal effortlessly, for some reason he struggled deeply to make sweets. It just didn’t come to him naturally. 

 

He hesitated before taking a bite of the failed attempt and he sighed, “At least it tastes the way Emiya said it would.”  _ Though I certainly do lack quite a lot on the appearance aspects.  _ He finished eating away at the treat and mumbled, “Well, as they say, ‘practice makes perfect’. I’ll keep working on it until it’s good!”

 

“Working on what?” 

 

Arthur turned around in surprise. Behind him was his female counterpart. Her eyes were clearly focused on the treats and she asked, “Were you making pancakes…? They look very jiggly though.”

 

“They’re souffle pancakes,” Arthur smiled. 

 

“Souffle pancakes?” He could see Artoria’s eyes light up in excitement and curiosity. He laughed and asked, “Would you like to try one? They may not look amazing, but I think they taste alright.”

 

“If… If that would be alright with you, I shall gladly partake in one!” Artoria quickly picked up a plate and fork. After elegantly, yet swiftly, scooping up a portion, a hum of contentment and bliss escaped her lips. Arthur watched with amusement and asked, “So?”

 

“It’s delicious! Why would you think they weren’t good enough?”

 

“Well…” Arthur trailed off before slowly going over why he wanted the pancakes to be perfect. He already knew that Emiya was going to make a cake large enough to feed all of Chaldea, and that several other servants have been preparing nonstop to surprise their Master with a Christmas celebration. He gave Artoria a small smile and answered, “I just wanted to make something for Master, keep it a secret for me please?”

 

“Of course!” Artoria saluted him and then sighed, “I suppose I too shall find out what I can give Master as thanks for these past years.”

 

Arthur watched as Artoria walked away, but not without her grabbing yet another plate of his ‘failed’ souffles. He turned back to the stove and immediately rolled up his sleeves once more and smiled, “Okay. Perhaps this try shall be the time!”

 

***

 

“Merry Christmas!” 

 

Those two words rang loud and clear throughout all of Chaldea. Each hallway was decked with decorations galore and the cafeteria in which everyone dined in held a feast that was fit for a king. It was magnificent and absolutely wonderful. When Mash and Da Vinci brought you over, you weren’t really expecting all of this. You knew that they would be celebrating Christmas, but to have successfully pulled off an entire banquet without incident? It definitely was a Christmas miracle.

 

You sat off to the side away from the louder parts of the festivities as you watched everyone fight over the White Elephant gifts. You didn’t have one, but you wanted to watch anyways. Though you weren’t expecting someone to approach you in your little corner table.

 

“Arthur, to what do I owe your company tonight?” 

 

“Nothing, my Master,” Arthur chuckled and he asked, “Is this seat taken?”

 

“No, not at all. Feel free.”

 

Arthur sat down beside you, and you couldn’t help but admire his handsome features. Even with a green Christmas sweater that had Christmas lights running across it horizontally, he still was dashing enough to fit it. He laughed and asked, “You don’t want to join in?”

 

“I didn’t bring a gift to participate. You guys did a good job in hiding this from me,” you paused and turned to him, “But did you really have to? I would’ve been all for it!”

 

“We wanted you to relax and enjoy the party. Speaking of which, here,” Arthur gently handed you a plate. Your eyes widened to see the souffle pancakes and you asked, “Did Emiya tell you?”

 

“Tamamo did actually, she mentioned that it was your favorite.”

 

“I… You didn’t have to,” you laughed before poking at it with a fork. The souffle pancake jiggled and you asked, “What flavor?”

 

“Earl grey. Oh, and this too,” Arthur gently handed you a small box. You looked over in confusion and he smiled, “You can open it now or later.”

 

“...I’ll open it now,” you answered. You gently pushed the souffle pancake over to the side so you could focus on the gift. The box was wrapped with a simple gold trimmed red ribbon topped off in an intricate bow. But one tug at the loose ends brought it falling apart and the black velvety box was revealed to you in full. Your fingers trembled slightly as you lifted the lid of the box to reveal a sleek silver bracelet with Chaldea’s insignia attached to it. 

 

You don’t realize you let out a small gasp, but Arthur does. He nearly lets out a sigh of relief that you’re content with the gift. It was hard thinking of something that would be neutral enough for you to wear without people questioning why you were wearing it, and this was good enough. Yet the smile that was filled with happiness and warmth made him lose his breath. He’s rarely ever seen you so happy, so free from stress and worries that you smiled from the bottom of your heart.

 

“Thank you, Arthur!”

 

“No, thank you.” Arthur leaned against the table slightly. He had one hand propped up beneath his chin and he smiled in amusement as you struggled to wear the bracelet.  _ Thank you for summoning me and thank you for letting me walk by your side on your journey to save humanity.  _

 

“Merry Christmas, Master,” Arthur softly mumbled against the palm of his hand. But he knew that you heard it when you turned your gaze away from the bracelet and towards him. The soft smile on your lips made his smile grow just slightly wider and his heart a bit warmer.

 

“Merry Christmas Arthur, and here’s hoping that we have many more.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if this is what you were expecting, but I really do hope you enjoy this Secret Santa gift! x) I was going to post it on the 25th, but I'll be out of town and I would hate to have you wait for it. ;_; Merry Christmas, fellow Master of Chaldea! I hope that RNG blesses your summons and that you have a wonderful holiday season with those you love and care for! (:


End file.
